Can punch



E. w.- JoHNs oN 2,786,268

CAN PUNCH March 26, 1957 Filed April 30, 1956 11 mllllwwi: 4:6 5);-

INVEN-TOR. Erw ZbLJoh/Mow,

ATTY.

United SCS Patent CAN PUNCH Eric W. Johnson, Thrall, Tex.

Application April 30, 1956, Serial No. 581,663

2 Claims. (Cl. 3010) This is a can punch adapted particularly for use in connection with the penetration of the tops of cans containing beer, fruit juices and other liquids.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a punch for penetrating the can top and for forming openings therein through which the contents of the can may be poured, providing improved means for maintaining the can in correct upright position throughout the punching operation, and wherein improved Imeans are provided for preventing upsetting of the can during such operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can punch of such construction as to permit cans to be rapidly punched in succession with the least possibility of any of the cans being misaligned with the punch during the cutting operation and without danger of spilling or losing any of the contents of the can during such operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide holding means for the can during the cutting or punching operation which is so arranged that the stress or pressure required in making the punch will be delivered at diametrically opposite points in the can in resistance to one another, thus stabilizing the can during the punching operation and preventing overturning of the can.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a can punch of such construction that it is impossible to improperly place the can with respect to the movement of the punch.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a can punch of extremely simple construction, which is positive and safe in action, which insures a proper punch or opening being made in the top of the can, which has its cutter so constructed as to obviate the possibility of any cutting being performed in the side of the can, which is characterized by improved means for holding the can automatically stabilized throughout the cutting or punching operation, which is composed of but few simple and readily assembled parts, and which will prove highly effective in carrying out the desired results.

With the foregoing objects in View, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawing, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a can punch constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device as shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary view illustrating the construction and assemblage of the cutter or punch.

In the drawing, d indicates a suitable base for the can punch, which base may be of rectangular shape as shown7 or may vary in its shape according to requirements.

Arranged in upstanding position upon the base is a Patented Mar. 26, 1957 back-up member 5, which member has a concave face 6 conforming to the curvature of the side wall of the can 7 which it is desired to punch, the said back-up member extending upwardly throughout the greater part of the height of the can and terminating slightly below the upper edge of the latter when it rests upon the base 4. Also arranged in upstanding position upon the base 4:- is a heel member 9 having its inner face also concave as at 11i to conform to the curvature of the can when in upstanding position. This heel is relatively short as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The back-up and heel are in spaced relationship to embrace opposite sides of the can as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and the concave faces 6 and 10 are coaxial with the can. 1t is obvious, therefore, that when the can 7 is placed in upstanding position upon the base between the back-up and the heel members 5 9, it will be maintained against longitudinal as well as lateral movements upon the base.

Mounted in upstanding position upon the base 4 a substantial distance behind the back-up member 5 is a standard 11, the upper end of which is disposed a substantial distance above the top of the can 7. Hingedly connected as at 12 to the standard 11 is the plate or lever 13 having an offset head portion 14 equipped with a downwardly projecting cutter or punching tool 15. This cutting tool is secured to the head in any desired manner, such as by a screw 16, and its lower or opposite end is pointed as at 17 and may be sharpened to bring about penetration of the can top when the lever is moved in downward position. The head 14 is so positioned with respect to the remainder of the lever that when swung from the dotted line position in Fig. l to the full line position, the cutting tool 15 will engage the top of the can approximately at its axis and inwardly from the rear edge thereof, will penetrate the same and slice the desired opening in the can top from substantially its center to its rim. In order to obviate the possibility of the cutting tool 15 penetrating the upstanding side of the can, the tool is curved in a direction forwardly of the back-up element 5 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

it will be observed, particularly with reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing, that the lever or plate 13 carries the cutter 15 in such position as to move through and at right angles to the axis of the can as the plate or lever swings upon its pivot 12.

In operation, the lever or plate 13 is lifted to an upv ward position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, at which time the can to be punched is deposited upon the base in close Contact with the back-up and heel. The lever is then lowered and the cutting tool 17 sweeps through the axis of the can and in a direction rearwardly thereof, in such sweeping motion engaging and penetrating the can top to cut an opening therein. The pressure delivered to the can during this movement of the lever is exerted against the back-up 5, and any tendency of the opposite lower end of the can rising due to such pressure is resisted by the heel 9 which snugly conforms to the surface of the can at the side opposite to the back-up member 5. Any desired number of openings may be cut or punched in the can top by simply rotating the can after the lever has been raised, after which the can will be removed. In this manner it is apparent that the can is automatically held in its proper upstanding position throughout the entire cutting operation with no danger of the can becoming upset during the operation and obviating the possibility of the spilling of any of the contents of the can. By shaping the cutter in the manner illustrated and described, it is obvious that no penetration of the side of the can can occur during the punching operation.

I claim: f'

Hlfliiwfcan punch, a support to receive the can in upstanding position, a back-up member projecting upwardly lfrom said support having a concave face corr forming of tlrecan andmterminating at its uppe'rend nearand below theA top of the can, a member rising `f rornsaid support the sideof said can opposite to said baci? p and having a concave tace conforming to the curvature ofsaid can body and terminating a short distance. above said base, the concave faces of said back-up 1and said heel member coa` al said. ca and disposedon opposite sides of the latter, a standard rigidly vafiiXed 4to Iand rising from said base spaced rearwardly beyond said back-up member and parallel therewith,d a lever hinged near one end to said standard asubstantial distance :above said back-np member able in a plane coincident with and transverse to said axis, a head carried by the lower part or" said lever spaced avsubstantial distance beyond and below the pivot thereoand a cuttersecured to and projecting outwardly from said he'adjsaid lever movable upon its axis across the top of the can and ina line diametrically across the same through the centers of said back-up and heel members aswell as through the axis of the can.

l'. in a can punch, a support to receive the can in upstanding position, a backup member projecting upward- Cil ly frein ,Said supper? .hevige .a @awe fase @rifornire t'o a side vof said can and'ter-rninating at its upper end near and below the top of the can, a heel member rising from said support on the side of said can opposite to said back-up and having a concave face conforming to the curvature of said can body and terminating a short distance above said base, the concave faces of said backup and said heel member coaxial with said can and diametrically opposite to each other, a standard rigidly aixed and rising from said base spaced rearwardly beyond said back-up member and parallel therewith, a lever hinged to said standard a substantial distance above said back-up member and movable in a plane coincident with and transverse to said axis, a head carried by said lever, said head offset and spaced from the pivot of said iever, and a cutter secured to and projecting from said head, said lever movable across the top of said can and in a line diametrically across the same through the centers of said back-up and heel members.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

